1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to material-handling systems, and more particularly to shelving and caster-wheel systems that attach to standard pallets.
2. Description of Related Art
Pallets of live plants are routinely delivered by truck to retail stores like The Home Depot, Orchard Supply Hardware, Wal-Mart, etc. A typical Chep pallet is 40xe2x80x3 by 48xe2x80x3 and fits quite loosely across the floor inside a typical eight-foot wide truck-trailer.
More plants and other materials can be stacked on shelves above each pallet to take advantage of the vertical height inside a truck trailer or warehouse. But using wooden pallets for each of the higher stages consumes a lot of vertical room.
Floor rollers, conveyers, and wheeled dollies have been conventionally used to move materials around warehouses and in and out of truck-trailers. It is more convenient when the wheels are a part of the carts themselves.
A typical live plant distribution system returns to the dispatch office with empty carts. Unless those carts can collapse to save room, a lot of space is wasted that might otherwise be employed.
Briefly, a pallet cart embodiment of the present invention comprises four corner adapters that lock on to respective corners of an ordinary wooden pallet. A pair of ladder frames have vertical posts that fit at the bottom into each of the four corner adapters. The ladder frames support a system of wire-frame shelves at various parallel levels above the pallet. The pieces can be disassembled to lie flat.
An advantage of the present invention is that a cart is provided that makes useful equipment from otherwise unused pallets.
Another advantage of the present invention is that a corner-adapter is provided that allows shelving to be assembled over a pallet.
A further advantage of the present invention is that caster-wheel assemblies are provided that can be used to convert a pallet into a roll-around cart or tray.
The above and still further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of specific embodiments thereof, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.